


A Close Call

by CMA6725



Series: Of Men and Legends [3]
Category: Zorro (TV 1990), Zorro - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Minor Violence, Some Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-12 09:34:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29632617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CMA6725/pseuds/CMA6725
Summary: When Zorro is injured, Don Alejandro takes him to the hacienda to help him; meanwhile, De Soto and his men head out to arrest the Fox.
Relationships: Felipe & Diego de la Vega, Victoria Escalante/Diego de la Vega
Series: Of Men and Legends [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2177262
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter 1

In the weeks after Gilberto's funeral, to which Don Alejandro had very publicly forbidden Ynez Risendo from attending, De Soto became rather tame, no longer hurrying to arrest people or to invent new taxes and traps to lure out Zorro. In fact, given the notice offering him a truce, published the day of Gilberto's death, as well as stories about a large explosion at Diablo's Canyon, which started to abound a little over a week later, people were beginning to wonder if their hero was still alive. For almost a month he had not captured any bandits, nor had he made an appearance in the pueblo, not even to visit his lovely taverness, so everyone was beginning to dread that he might never appear again.

ZZZ

It was a sunny day in Pueblo de Los Angeles, a few weeks after the events at the De la Vega Hacienda leading to Gilberto Risendo/De la Vega being shot by Alcalde De Soto who, by his decision, unknowingly saved the life of the man he had, for a long time considered his archenemy.

The Alcalde had been in a good mood lately, despite the tiredness he was feeling after having spent much of his time the past few weeks chasing bandits with his soldiers, considering Zorro was no longer delivering them carefully tied up. In fact, the masked bandit's absence was one of the reasons why he was in such good spirits.

The other reason was the Governor's decision not to take any action against him for having shot the Royal Emissary. Considering the De la Vegas' written testimonies, as well as the Emissary's actions in other pueblos, for which he had received numerous complaints, the high-ranking official was going to send Ynez Risendo back to Spain in chains, accompanied by all the needed information and written testimonies to have her rot in prison for the rest of her life and for De Soto to be acquitted of all charges hanging over him. Truth be told, without knowing it, the Los Angeles Alcalde had done the Governor a great favor by eliminating Gilberto, who had been causing him trouble ever since he set foot in California, so the high-ranking official felt obliged to defend him.

On that particular November day of 1820, Ignacio de Soto and Sergeant Mendoza, were heading towards the tavern for a late lunch, just as Diego and Felipe were entering the town, greeting some of the people in the plaza.

"Ah, Don Diego!" said the Alcalde at seeing the man approaching, some glee in his voice. After saving the young caballero's life, many people close to the De la Vegas, as well as the De la Vegas themselves had changed their attitudes towards him, and he was finally feeling respected. True, De Soto had saved Diego also from an instinct of self-preservation, but he certainly didn't mind the recognition he was getting for his deed.

"Alcalde, Sergeant!" Diego saluted at dismounting his horse. "Felipe," he added turning to face the young man, "please take the donations to Padre Benitez and meet me later in the Tavern. I will go talk to Doctor Hernandez."

"Are you feeling unwell, Don Diego?" Asked Mendoza. "Why do you need to see the doctor?"

"It's nothing, Sergeant." Diego replied. "I am merely getting some medicine for my father. An old war wound seems to be bothering him lately."

"War wound?" Asked the De Soto, for a minute forgetting Don Alejandro had been a soldier once. "Please, tell Don Alejandro we wish him a speedy recovery!" He continued.

"That I will, Alcalde!" Diego confirmed with a smile reflecting both surprise and gratitude at the man's words, then took his goodbyes from the two men, set for the doctor's office, while Mendoza and De Soto entered the tavern.

ZZZ

"They smell wonderful, senorita!" Mendoza stated hungrily, as Victoria put a plate of fresh tamales in front of him and proceeded to do the same for the Alcalde.

"¡Buen provecho!" She replied, a lost look on her face as she returned to the kitchen.

"What do you think is wrong with Senorita Victoria, Alcalde?" Asked Mendoza, launching on his meal as if he hadn't eaten in days.

"Wrong, Sergeant? In what way?" De Soto wondered, carefully taking the fork and picking at the food.

"Well, she seems…how to say…worried." Explained the Sergeant.

"Hah! The woman is simply…busy, Mendoza. Look at this place!" The Alcalde remarked, drawing the Sergeant's attention to the fact that the Tavern was, indeed, full. "This pueblo is becoming infested with these law class, dirty peasants," he continued, looking around, unhidden disgust on his face. "No place like Los Angeles to make one miss Madrid!"

"Is Madrid very different, Alcalde?" Asked Mendoza with naivety.

"Different, Sergeant? Oh, Madrid...Madrid is the...the absolute pinnacle of civilization, Mendoza! Its architecture, its shops, its fashion, the restaurants..." Ignacio leaped into his memories. He would have held an hour-long speech on the Spanish capital, had Mendoza not interrupted him.

"Is the food in the taverns there as good as Senorita Escalante's?"

"You and your stomach, Sergeant!" His superior officer replied with annoyance, realizing Mendoza was not the right audience for his banter.

As he said that, Diego and Felipe entered the tavern, looking around for a place to sit.

"Don Diego!" Shouted Mendoza who was sat facing the door and noticed them. "Come join us!"

The Alcalde turned, hesitated for a moment, but repeated the invitation. "Si, do join us, Diego!"

"Well, thank you Sergeant. Alcalde." The caballero accepted with some doubt, but convinced by the clear lack of free tables, and sat next to the Sergeant, leaving Felipe to sit next to De Soto.

"Don Diego, do you know what's wrong with Senorita Escalante?" Asked the Sergeant as soon as they sat down, happy for the opportunity to return to the one subject he cared about. After all, everyone in the pueblo knew that senorita's food tasted much better when she was happy than when she was upset.

"Is there something wrong with Victoria?" Diego wondered, carefully observing the taverness.

"Ah...Wrong! Really, Sergeant! Why don't you concern yourself with more important things, like making sure the pueblo does not turn into a rat-infested piniata!" The Alcalde replied, bitterly.

"Buenos dias, Don Diego! Buenos dias, Felipe! Are you here for lunch?" Victoria inquired, nearing the table, an empty tray in her hand. "I have made a wonderful arroz con pollo." She added.

Diego gazed at Felipe who confirmed with a slight nod.

"Arroz on pollo for myself and my son, in that case, Victoria! Thank you!" He ordered and looked carefully at her.

"Very well, Diego." Victoria replied with a distracted look and a rather forced smile before returning to the kitchen.

"Your son, Don Diego?" Asked the Sergeant on whom Diego's words were not as lost as they were on the beautiful tavern owner.

"Yes, Sergeant. Felipe is legally my son as of today. I just received the court decision this morning!" He said with pride and glanced at the young man. Then, his look suddenly changed. "But I do believe you are right; something does seem to trouble Victoria." He continued, suspicious at her lack of reaction when he called Felipe his son.

"Oh, well, it probably just dawned on her that her beloved Zorro is dead." Stated the Alcalde with a strange grin on his face, almost betraying regret.

"Zorro is dead?" Asked Diego, faking concern.

"Most probably dead, possibly badly wounded." De Soto clarified. "As you know, Zorro has not been seen since he rescued his stallion from the garrison."

"But Zorro made it out with Tornado, Alcalde!" Mendoza pointed out.

"Of course he did, Sergeant! The man had more lives than a cat! However, you might recall that, after that incident, the Emissary offered him a truce if he would meet him at Diablo Canyon. Zorro was not seen after that day, so, undoubtedly, he met with Risendo and fell right into whatever trap he had laid out for our masked friend!" Remarked the Alcalde. "In a way, I am sorry I wasn't there to witness what Risendo had in store for him."

"If you would have been there, Alcalde, you wouldn't have made it to the hacienda to save Don Diego!" Said the Sergeant, gratefulness in his voice.

"Yes, you did save my life that day, Ignacio." Confirmed Diego, who still had trouble deciding his feelings towards the Alcalde.

"He saved himself, too, Diego!" Victoria, who neared the table to bring the food and happened to overhear the last part of the conversation, intervened.

"A fortunate…coincidence, Senorita." De Soto acknowledged with a smug look.

"So, you believe Zorro is dead, Alcalde?" Diego asked, half looking at Victoria.

"Dead, injured…Something is sure to have happened to him if he met with Risendo." The older man confirmed, a disappointed smile on his face.

Victoria's concerns became visible and Diego noticed it.

"Well, Ignacio, perhaps he did not show himself because he hasn't been needed these last few weeks." He decided to state and Victoria was thankful for those words, her face lightening up as if a burden had been taken off her shoulders.

"That is true, Alcalde. Everything has been quite peaceful lately. No bandits, no Royal Emissaries…" said Mendoza. "Ademas, Zorro is too clever to fall into Risendo's trap!"

Diego smiled as the Sergeant said that, thinking that his friend had too good an opinion of his alter ego. No, Sergeant, unfortunately, Zorro was not too clever to fall into Risendo's trap, he thought, but, fortunately, he does have a very smart horse.

"Then tell me this, Mendoza!" Demanded the Alcalde. "Zorro has come to the De la Vegas' aid time and time again. If Zorro did not meet with Risendo, and if nothing happened to him, how come he did not ride to their rescue?"

"That is a good point, Alcalde." Mendoza agreed. "You must admit, Don Diego! If Zorro was alive, he would have most probably come to help you and Don Alejandro!"

Diego watched how Victoria's face became once more dominated by grief.

"Alcalde, I hardly believe Zorro not coming to our rescue is reason enough to pronounce him dead! He is a rather unpredictable fellow, and he has been absent before, even for longer periods of time." Diego dismissed their conclusion.

"Unpredictable? Don't make me laugh, Diego!" Replied the Alcalde. "He was more predictable than the Sun. It is your strange fascination with the individual that stopped you from seeing that! Well, a mask does not make a man smarter or better than he truly is, and Zorro, I am convinced, was, for sure, stupid enough to fall into your brother's trap." De Soto concluded making sure to emphasize it was Diego's brother who had killed the masked legend.

"He is alive! You'll see when he comes back to plague you, Alcalde!" Victoria stated in anger, just before turning on her heels and heading back to the kitchen.

Diego noticed her attitude and, excusing himself, followed her through the curtains separating the taproom and the kitchen. She was standing with her back at him, leaning against the table, and was silently sobbing.

"Victoria…" He called her and she turned with a startle. "Don't listen to him! I don't believe there's any reason for you to be concerned!"

"How would you know that, Don Diego? The Alcalde is right and he is not the only one thinking it! Zorro would have at least let me know he was alright if nothing had happened to him! I know he would have!" She stated.

In a way she was right. He should have let her know that he was alive but, at that point, Diego was still deciding if Zorro needed to make a reappearance. Coming so close to death twice in one day had made him take a better look at his life choices. The explosion at Diablo's Canyon and the rumors about the masked man's death were a good opportunity for him to put away the mask forever and focus on his family and secret fiancée, instead. He had, thus, let everyone wonder, including Victoria, as to Zorro's faith, as he was trying to reach a decision.

"I spoke with someone who had been at the Canyon a few days ago." Diego decided to improvise in a bid to reassure her. "He said he found a pile of rocks and the sure signs of an explosion, but no body buried underneath them. It's, thus, easy to conclude that the trap did not work."

"Then where is he?" She asked. "Why did he not come to me?"

"Perhaps he was injured. Or, perhaps, he decided to put away the mask and live his life like a normal person." He answered, realizing he was saying more than he initially intended to tell her.

"No! That's not possible! Zorro would not do that. Oh, Diego, I dreamt for so long that he would put away that mask and just decide to build a life with me. But I know he could not do that, as long as he is still needed. That's not the kind of man he is, the man I fell in love with! If Zorro was alive, he wouldn't even consider letting the people down, just for selfish reasons." She answered.

"Is it selfish for him to want to be with you? Haven't you both waited enough? Shouldn't he be allowed to have a happy life with the woman he loves?" He asked in return.

"You are naïve, Don Diego!" Victoria admonished. "We could never be together while De Soto is Alcalde. We both know that! He might have been on his best behavior lately, but he is an irrational and petty man, who will return to his previous behavior soon enough! And Zorro, wouldn't be able to just watch and do nothing. Furthermore, if I suddenly married someone, he would become the prime suspect for being Zorro, and I wouldn't put it past the Ignacio de Soto to hang him, even without any proof!"

Diego knew she was right, having used the same arguments in his internal debate on whether or not it was time to leave his alter-ego fade into memory. Having her presenting them so bluntly, though, managed to finally lead him towards the right decision. Zorro was still needed, and he would ride.

"You are right." He agreed. "But I am also right when I say that you shouldn't worry so much. Perhaps he was injured in the explosion and it might take him some time to heal. I am, however, sure that he will re-emerge as soon as he will be able to. Just don't lose faith, Victoria!"

She drew a deep breath and wiped away all her tears, smiling at her best friend.

"Alright, Don Diego! I will do as you say and try to be patient!" The taverness decided. "Now, if you don't mind, I need to get back to work!" She stated, thus subtly asking him to leave her kitchen.

Meanwhile, not interested in De Soto's conversation with Mendoza about the possibility of Zorro's demise at Risendo's hands, Felipe started looking around the tavern, his attention suddenly captured by four men discussing at the back of the taproom. By reading their lips, he followed as much of their conversation as he could since two of them were turned with their back at him and the distance at which their table was situated, combined with the noise made by the other people there, was making it impossible for him to overhear what the four of them were saying.

"Are you sure the old man will come to town tonight, Antonio?" Was the question which drew Felipe's attention.

"Si. It is all arranged." Replied the one called Antonio. "We will be waiting for him at the crossroad leading to his hacienda."

"The old man will not be hard to kill, but the son looks strong. He might fight." The first said with some concern.

At this point, one of the men whose backs were turned to Felipe said something and he was sure they had mentioned the name of their target.

"Yes, it is true." Antonio agreed. "He is the big disappointment of his father. Weak and cowardly. He will be less trouble than the old man, I can assure you!"

After finishing their meals and parting with De Soto and Mendoza, Felipe gestured to Diego what he had overheard and awaited his answer with questioning eyes.

"Yes, Felipe, we must do something." His adoptive father answered. "Are you sure you don't know who they were talking about?"

Felipe shook his head as "No!"

"There are quite a few haciendas near Los Angeles." Diego continued. "I believe Zorro had better keep an eye on those men tonight. After all, the Alcalde is a bit too sure he is dead, so we should, perhaps, remind him that someone is still watching out for the people. He might have made better decisions lately, Felipe, but Victoria is right. A man does not change his nature overnight, even when faced with his own death. Tell my father I will remain in town to work for The Guardian. I will take a room at the Tavern and you bring Zorro's things and my nightclothes, and leave Tornado at the usual place."

As they parted, Diego returned to the tavern and asked for a room, then headed for the office of The Guardian where most of the work was, in fact, already finished.

That very afternoon, a note was brought to the hacineda, asking for Don Alejandro to ride into town to meet with the Alcalde at 8 pm.

"Diego!" His father called, touring his house as he was about to leave. "Felipe, where is Diego?" He asked when he saw the young man reading in the library.

Felipe signaled that he was in town and intended to spend the night at the tavern.

"Well, I shall see him there, I suppose! The Alcalde just sent a note asking me to meet him in his office at 8. God knows what he wants at that hour!"

Felipe, suddenly realizing that the trap was being set for the De la Vegas, went to Diego's room, from where he rushed out carrying out something packed in a little blanket, then took a gun, which he carefully hid from his grandfather, and followed him out, offering to drive him by carriage and explaining he was intended to visit Diego, anyway, in order to take him some clean clothes. Don Alejandro tried to convince him to go on horseback, but Felipe, eventually, won the argument, making the old don sigh with the knowledge that the young man had somehow inherited the De la Vega stubbornness, despite not being a De la Vega by blood.

Knowing that the bandits were waiting at the crossroad leading to the hacienda, Felipe tried to take a different road, but Don Alejandro, considering he was already late, moved to the front seat, took the reins from his grandson and returned the carriage to the normal road, Felipe now powerless to intervene.

ZZZ

In the meantime, Zorro, who had been following the four men from the tavern, soon came to realize that their intended victim was his father, as they stopped at the crossroads. Dismounting his stallion, he crept his way towards them but, before he had the chance to make his move, his father's carriage got within the range of their pistols. Felipe, who was expecting them, wasted no time in pulling his gun and shooting in their direction, seconds after they opened fire. He hit his mark, causing one of the thugs a wounded arm. However, one of the bullets shot towards the carriage also found a target in the horse. The poor animal reared and then knelt down, visibly in pain. Zorro reached the thugs just as they were reloading and quickly disarmed them after a very short struggle, leaving them unconscious and making sure to leave his mark onto their vests. Once his job was done, he headed towards the carriage.

"Is anybody injured?" He asked his father.

"Zorro! Thank God you are alive!" Don Alejandro replied in awe. "No, we are fine. My horse, however, seems to have been hurt." He added, jumping down from the carriage with much more ease than would have been expected from a man his age.

Zorro headed towards the horse and checked his wound.

"The bullet hit his leg but it looks like a flesh wound." He said. "Help me lift him to his feet and he will be able to take you back to the hacienda!"

The old don helped the masked outlaw get the horse back on his feet and inspected the wound, agreeing with him that it was not looking too bad.

"Don Alejandro!" Zorro told him, after glimpsing at Felipe with a grateful smile. "It was these men's plan tu lure you to town tonight so they could set their trap. They planned on killing you."

"But how did you know? And you, Felipe, how come you knew to take a gun?" The Don asked, realizing just then that Felipe had fired back at the bandits and it was not normal for him to carry weapons. In fact, he had no idea the young man even knew how to use them.

"It seems that Felipe likes to be prepared, Don Alejandro. You should thank him for saving your life." Zorro tried to reason the doubt out of his father's mind, as the old don was preparing to get back on his carriage.

As he said this, however, one of the four bandits, regaining consciousness, reloaded his gun and shot towards Don Alejandro. All Zorro could do was tackle his father to the ground in order to protect him from the bullet. Seconds later, he got up, quickly heading for the thug and disarmed him with his whip, then left him unconscious, once again, this time causing him a large wound to the head as it bumped into a nearby rock, after having had a close encounter with the masked man's right hook. Realizing just then that two of the bandits had escaped and only one other was still lying there, unconscious and bleeding from a gun wound to his arm, Zorro rushed to bind their hands and legs but, as he rose again to his feet, realized the bullet, which had wounded him in his left shoulder, had caused more damage than previously thought and he was losing blood fast. He stumbled on his feet towards the carriage and called up to Felipe who, noticing something was wrong, jumped down and caught him, seconds before he would have fallen to the ground.


	2. Chapter 2

"He is hurt, Felipe!" Don Alejandro noticed with concern. "Hurry, we must carry him to the hacienda!"

Seeing that carrying him to the hacienda was also Felipe's first instinct, he followed his grandfather's instructions.

They arrived back a little before nine in the evening, when the servants were already in their quarters, having been informed that they were no longer needed that day. Don Alejandro made sure there was no one in the house and instructed Felipe to help him carry the wounded Zorro to Diego's room.

"Diego is at the tavern when I need him most!" He exclaimed, and, looking at Felipe's gestures, he added: "No, Felipe, we cannot call the doctor! Go bring Diego! He is much better at this than I am!"

"I am not sure we have the time, senor!" Zorro said, pain in his voice. "I might lose consciousness if the blood loss continue. I can guide you through what needs to be done."

Don Alejandro hesitated for a moment but realized the injured man was right.

"Very well, Zorro! I will do as you say." He replied. "Felipe, bring a knife, towels and bandages." He continued.

Felipe did as Don Alejandro asked and took no more than a few minutes to return with all the requested items.

Zorro's instructions and the don's own experience in assisting his son in similar tasks led to the bullet being removed rather quickly. When the bullet was out, Zorro instructed him to heat the knife and burn the wound, so that the blood loss may stop quicker but, finally, as his father did that, the pain overcame him and Zorro lost consciousness. At that point, his job finished, with Felipe's help, Don Alejandro lay him on the bed and covered him with Diego's blanket.

"I will stay with him, Felipe. Someone needs to keep vigil." Don Alejandro said. "Go get some sleep, son!"

Felipe, however, protested, gesturing to Don Alejandro that he was younger and, thus, he would remain by Zorro's side. They were both stubborn but, eventually, for the second time that night, the older caballero gave in.

"Felipe!" Don Alejandro cautioned him before leaving. "Under no circumstance, you are to remove his mask. Are we clear? It might be very dangerous to know this man's true identity."

Felipe smiled and signaled, assuring him that he would not take Zorro's mask off, and, with this assurance, the don went to bed.

The youngest De la Vega waited for about an hour, until he was sure Don Alejandro had fallen asleep, then headed towards the library, opened the secret passage and, confirming that Tornado had returned home, he went through Diego's experimental medicines, taking a bottle containing a tonic and bringing it to his room. By that time, it was close to midnight and he knew he had to act fast. He took a spoon of powder from the bottle and mixed it with water, then carefully slipped a few drops on Zorro's lips. The effect was almost instant, as his adoptive father opened his eyes to stare at Felipe with some confusion. Seeing he was awake, the younger man gave him the glass to drink and Zorro felt his forces returning to him.

They then initiated a half-talked, half-gestured conversation, Zorro being, of course, the one doing the talking.

"What happened, Felipe? I passed out? Yes, the wound hurts. I can hardly feel my left arm. I know. My father thinks I'm at the tavern. But I cannot leave the hacienda. The two bandits who escaped might decide to attack again. They might have already returned to free the other two and now there may again be four of them. I can't leave my father alone! Make sure the doors and windows are closed and get some guns!" He instructed.

ZZZ

Zorro was almost right. In fact, the two men who escaped did not concern themselves with rescuing their mates that night, thinking they could not do so while Zorro had them, and didn't even bother to check if that was, indeed, the case. Instead, knowing about the De la Vega's close relationship with Victoria Escalante, the owner of the tavern, they decided to set another trap.

Victoria was closing the tavern for the night when she heard a knock at the main door. Taking a candle, she went to open it and found herself at the wrong end of a gun pointed directly at her head.

"Don't make a sound, senorita!" The bandit warned her. "Just behave yourself and we might let you live!"

"What do you want?" She asked, thinking they were there to rob her and wondering if Diego was in his room and might be able to help if she screamed. She rapidly dismissed that idea, knowing full well that the De la Vega heir was no fighter. Besides, Victoria, had no intention of seeing him get killed.

"We just want you to take a ride with us to your friend's house!" The thug answered.

The gun at her back and no lancer in sight, she had no choice but to obey and accompany them, to the De la Vega Hacienda.

ZZZ

In the meantime, the Sergeant and three of his men, whom the Alcalde had sent on patrol to some farms up north, were returning and found the two bandits tied up and marked by Zorro. Happy to see the masked outlaw was clearly not dead – his glee resulting mainly from a sense of pride about having been proven right, but also from a sense of friendship and admiration for the man - he asked the three lancers who accompanied him to take the bandits back to town.

"What happened here, Sergeant? Who are they and what crime have they committed?" The Alcalde asked as the lancers were putting the bandits in jail.

"I don't know, Alcalde, but Zorro only does this to the bandits, so they must have done something bad!" Mendoza replied and his men agreed with a nod.

"Zorro! Hmm...We shall see about that!" De Soto uttered, unconvinced. Then, turning towards one of the bandits, he instructed in a severe, menacing voice: "You! Speak! What happened?"

"What happened was that you arrested two innocent men! Why are you holding us prisoners when you should be out there, looking for the man who attacked us?" The other bandit replied instead of the one to whom the question was addressed, while applying pressure on his injured arm.

The Alcalde smiled, a curious look in his eyes as he stated calmly: "And who exactly was it that attacked you? You bear the mark of Zorro but, if it was him, which I very much doubt, what reason did he have to harm you? I'd suggest you tell me everything and, in return, I promise to be merciful."

The look on De Soto's face made the men feel a cold shiver through their bodies.

"He tried to prevent us from killing a don!" Replied the thug the Alcalde had previously asked.

"Shut up, Juan, you moron!" Ordered the other.

"What don?" De Soto inquired suspiciously.

"De la Vega." The man called Juan replied, ignoring his cohort. "We tried to ambush him but Zorro got in the way."

"I told you to shut up!" Demanded the other bandit.

"Zorro? So you've seen him? He... is... alive?" De Soto wondered.

"He's the one who caught us!" Juan replied again.

"If Zorro did capture you, why did he leave you there? Why not bring you to Los Angeles?"

"I don't know, Alcalde! I think he was hurt when I shot at the don. He left us unconscious and they were all gone when we came to our senses." Juan answered as the other bandit no longer even tried to stop him.

"And by all, you mean, the De la Vegas and Zorro?" De Soto tried to confirm.

"Zorro, the old don, and a young man." Answered the bandit. "The son was not with him."

"I see." De Soto replied and, after a minute's consideration, he ordered: "Sergeant! Leave Sepulvora and two lancers in charge of the prisoners and gather all the other men. We are going to the De la Vega hacienda."

"Why, if I may ask, Alcalde?" Mendoza humbly voiced his concern while following the Alcalde into his office. "Do you think there are more bandidos trying to kill Don Alejandro?"

"No, Sergeant. But I do think we might finally be able to capture a wounded fox! Get the men!" De Soto answered, a big smile on his face, thinking that Zorro's capture could finally get him back to Spain.

He did not wonder why he was only thinking about capturing him and had no will to hang the man, deciding that it was wiser to send him back to Madrid in chains, to answer before the King for his crimes. A cold shiver passed through him as he remembered Gilberto's words about King Ferdinand growing fond of dismemberment as a form of execution, but shoved away the thought, rather imagining himself attending the hanging of his black-clad nemesis.

"Si Alcalde!" Replied Mendoza.

As the bandits arrived at the hacienda, pointing a gun at Victoria, they knocked at the door, eventually waking up Don Alejandro. Felipe, who was on the lookout, spotted them and rushed to tell Zorro, just before his grandfather left his room to answer. Hearing Victoria's voice, the don took no caution, and, as soon as the door opened, the bandits forced their way into the hacienda, pushing the taverness into the don's arms.

"What is the meaning of this? What is it that you want?" Don Alejandro asked, enraged and confused at the same time by the bandits' decision to attack him in his own home.

"What we want? Well, senor, we want your life! But before that, where is your son, old man?" Replied the man called Antonio.

"My son is not here! And you are mistaken if you think you can just claim my life and I will sit idly by, waiting for you to take it!" As he said that, Don Alejandro, tore down a decorative vase and, taking advantage of the distraction caused by the million shattered pieces of expensive porcelain, pulled Victoria into the library, trying to reach for the ceremonial sword he was keeping on the wall.

"I am afraid there is not much you can do about that, senor!" One of the bandits said, as he put himself in the don's way, prepared to fire on him. The old man looked at him defiantly, flanking Victoria in an effort to keep her out of danger.

A few seconds later, though, just as he was about to fire, the bandit felt the pain of a whip and the gun flew into Zorro's hand. The masked outlaw then used the pistol to shoot at the other bandit, thus causing him to lose his gun.

"Zorro!" Victoria exclaimed, unable to hide her joy at finding him alive.

Seeing themselves disarmed once more that night, the two men then took out their swords and a fight ensued. Zorro used almost all his remaining energy to defeat them and, as soon as they were lying unconscious on the floor, the masked outlaw asked Felipe to tie them up, leaving them in the hallway, by the entrance to the hacienda.

"Zorro!" Victoria repeated when the fight was won, hurrying into his arms and reaching to kiss him. "I so hoped you were still alive!" She stated as their lips parted.

"I am sorry to have worried you, senorita! I'm afraid my last encounter with the Emissary left me with some injuries." The masked man replied, supporting his weight on a wall.

"Senor, you have just been shot!" Don Alejandro uttered, surprising Victoria, concern in his voice. "I had left you unconscious but an hour or two ago! How are you even standing, Zorro?"

As he asked that, the Alcalde and his men entered the courtyard, their presence disturbing the horses which were sleeping in their stalls and causing them to become agitated.

"Surround the hacienda!" De Soto ordered loudly enough for the people inside to hear him.

"I must be going!" Zorro decided.

"They will capture you!" Don Alejandro replied. "You don't have your stallion; and you are injured! Let me hide you instead!"

"I am grateful, senor, but I see that the hacienda is surrounded. You should take the senorita and go to your quarters. I can take care of myself and I would not want the Alcalde to know that you have helped me. He could be tempted to take some action I would later be forced to make him regret." Zorro replied, worried by the prospect that De Soto might decide to arrest his father.

"I will not leave you, Zorro!" The taverness protested, thinking that, whatever the masked man had in mind might bring-about his end.

"Please, have faith, Victoria!" He asked her, sensing her fear. "Now go with Don Alejandro! I will be fine!"

As he said that and his father left with the woman he loved, the Alcalde and his men were about to tear down the door. Zorro hurriedly entered the cave through the library, the sliding panel closing moments before the Alcalde's men forced the door open, bursting into the hacienda. Once in the cave, the masked man mounted Tornado as fast as his state allowed him to, exited through the back entrance, and returned to the hacienda, intent on distracting De Soto in order to prevent him from finding the blood-stained sheets in his room.

ZZZ

Meanwhile, the Alcalde made his way into the hacienda's long hallway, closely followed by Sergeant Mendoza and fourteen of his lancers.

"De la Vega!" He shouted, almost stumbling on the unconscious bodies of the two bandits at entering. "Where are you, De la Vega?"

"Oh, Alcalde!" Don Alejandro replied, coming to the entrance with Victoria and curiously looking around, wondering where his masked guest had vanished. "How nice of you to drop by, especially when we no longer need you and your men!"

"Where is Zorro, De la Vega? I know he's been injured and you are trying to hide him!" De Soto stated.

"Zorro?" The old man faked being surprised by the question. "You've just missed him, Alcalde! As you can see, he left you two more presents. These men attacked me and Victoria and were intended on killing us all."

"Sergeant, search everywhere! Take the hacienda apart if you need to! Zorro can't have gone far!" Ordered the official.

"Si Alcalde!" Mendoza hurried to comply. Barely had the Sergeant repeated the order to his men when Zorro made his appearance in the courtyard.

"Alcalde!" He called and all the men exited fast, followed by Don Alejandro and Victoria, who were thrilled to see him but were also at a loss to understand how he had gotten there on Tornado.

"Zorro!" The Alcalde and Mendoza exclaimed at the same time, in very different tones.

"How good of you to come so promptly, Alcalde! You're just in time to arrest the bandits who have tried to kill Don Alejandro tonight!" Zorro mocked him.

"How are you alive, Zorro?" De Soto inquired.

"Did you think I was dead? You really should know better than to listen to groundless rumors! Or did you, perhaps, miss me?" Zorro questioned, a wicked smile on his lips.

"Missed you? Like I miss nightmares!" De Soto answered.

"In that case, you might want to stay awake!" The masked outlaw threatened, as he directed his mount towards Los Angeles and was soon engulfed in the night's darkness.

"Should we pursue him, Alcalde?" Mendoza asked his commander.

"Don't bother, Sergeant!" He replied with some disappointment. "Have the men take the bandits. We return to the garrison!"

ZZZ

"Victoria!" Don Alejandro asked as soon as they were out of sight. "Do you know anything about Diego? He was supposed to spend the night at the tavern and there were four bandits who attacked us."

"He was…I mean, I think he is…But they didn't seem to know he was there!" She pointed out, remembering the older haciendado had just been questioned about Diego's whereabouts.

"I need to make sure my son is alright!" Don Alejandro decided as he headed back to his room to get dressed, a feeling of dread washing over him.

Emerging some five minutes later, fully clothed, he asked Felipe to lock the doors and offered Victoria a guestroom at the hacienda. Then, after waking up four of his vaqueros, he left two to guard the house and, mounted on Dulcinea and accompanied by his other two men, headed towards the pueblo, intended on making sure Diego was fine.

ZZZ

As for Zorro, he had already made his way back to the tavern and, after checking that there was no lancer in sight, he sent Tornado back to the cave. Slowly heading for the kitchen entrance to check if it was opened, he found himself grateful to whomever had left it that way, since he was in no condition to climb the roof towards his room's window. Reasoning that Victoria would, most probably, remain at the hacienda for the night, he bolted the doors and made his way towards the room he had rented. Careful not to inflict himself more pain, Diego slowly discarded his black attire, changing into his night shirt and Long Johns, After hiding all of Zorro's things under the mattress, he lay in bed, hoping to get a restful rest of the night, just as his father and the vaqueros forced open the entrance in search of him. Hearing the commotion, Diego reached for his sword but soon put it back at hearing his father's voice. He, thus, got out of bed and opened the door with a tired look on his face, just as his father was about to knock it down, as well.

"Is there something wrong, Father?" He asked when he found himself before the old don.

"Are you alright, son?" Don Alejandro asked, relieved to see that Diego was alive and, apparently, unharmed.

"Of course, I am. I was sleeping. What happened? Why are you here?"

"We were attacked tonight, son! Some men tried to kill me and Victoria and I was afraid their cohorts had come after you!"

"No…I am fine, Father! But how is Victoria?"

Don Alejandro breathed out relieved. "She's well. I offered her a guestroom at the hacienda. Now, get dressed, son. You are coming home with us, just in case there are more bandits out there!"

"But, if they attacked the house, wouldn't it be safer to stay here?" He pointed out fearing he might not be able to ride back in his weakened state.

"Don't worry son, we will be ready if they try anything!" Don Alejandro assured him, leaving Diego to carefully get dressed in his normal clothes and wonder how to get his Zorro things out of the room without arousing any suspicions. In the end, he decided to wrap the black attire, his belt, whip and dagger in his nightclothes, placing them in his saddlebags, then wrapped up his sword in a blanket and left it under the mattress, for Felipe to recover early the following morning.

As soon as he was sure that there was no more visible evidence pointing to Zorro having been in the tavern that night, he headed downstairs, doing his best to make sure he remained conscious in the saddle, at least till arriving home.

The next day, Diego headed to the tavern for lunch, having spent the entire morning resting at The Guardian's office. His father had tried to enlist his support for a cattle drive to San Bernardino and he was certainly in no condition to do that, so he invented an urgent need to write an editorial. At least, at the office, he had the time to rest and recover. The bullet his father had removed the previous night had entered his body at a strange angle, missing his bones by an inch and lodging itself somewhere above his armpit. Moving his left arm was, under those circumstances, pure torture.

It again took most of his strength just to cross the plaza, but he needed to make a public appearance so that neither De Soto, nor Victoria or his father suspected him.

"Alcalde!" He greeted at entering the taproom to find Ignacio sat at a table "I understand that Zorro is back!"

"Oh, just as well, De la Vega! I can still put the noose around his neck!" The white-haired man replied.

"The Alcalde is a true optimist, isn't he Victoria?" Diego asked directing himself at the woman he loved, who was standing behind the bar, a large smile on her face. "He manages to see the upside in every situation!"

"The only upside, Diego, is that Zorro lives!" She answered. "If it hadn't been for him, those bandits might have killed your father and me last night!"

"For certain, did they tell you why they attacked my father, Ignacio?" Diego wondered.

"Yes... Apparently one of them was going to impersonate a relative of yours and claim the hacienda and your land for himself, after they had gotten rid of you and your father." The Alcalde replied. "I guess they had no idea you had adopted Felipe or they might have tried to also kill him."

"Well, I am certainly glad their plan didn't work out." Diego stated, genuinely relieved his family was no longer in danger from those men.

"All thanks to Zorro!" Victoria emphasized.

"Zorro!" Exclaimed the Alcalde with annoyance.


End file.
